Sophronia L. Gallop
Lesson Two
:
Objective
: Students will be clustering again to create actual paragraphs to submit to publications.
(figure available in print form)
Instructions
:
-
1. Create a paragraph out of the connecting lines formed by clustering.
-
2. Each connecting word will become an explanatory sentence. A second sentence may be used to elaborate.
-
3. Organize the sentences in the order that makes no sense. Then arrange them in an onder that makes sense.
-
4. Make sure you have a topic sentence telling what the paragraph is about. An example of a topic sentence would be: A designer needs to work on a lot of different skills to break into the fashion world.
Lesson Three
:
Objective
: Students will talk about designers and friends interested in finding out about and writing the life of a designer.
Instructions
: Write a description of your favorite designer. Include:
Where you looked.
Where he/she was born.
How he/she started.
Who influenced him/her.
Any distinguishing styles each may have.
Selling Your Clothes
Designers are concerned with all aspects of their clothing, including the selling and marketing. After you have become a designer, or seamstress, or partner of a firm that makes and sells clothes, you will need to have writing skills to create the necessary advertisements. Advertisement is a large part of the clothing business; people like to know what new fashions there are and like to wear the kind of clothes currently “in” for that season.
Each student will learn to create and write an advertisement for the following sources:
Advertising. Companies advertise their products with pictures and words in newspapers and magazines. Some fabric companies advertise on radio or television. Other companies use signs or posters to advertise on radio or television. Other companies use signs or posters to advertise their products. Companies choose the best kind of advertising to reach as many customers as possible. The kind of advertising a company chooses depends on how much money it can spend. Small stores cannot afford to advertise in national magazines or on national television. Small fabric stores advertise in local newspapers and on local radio. Advertisements are simple and to the point. Customers do not take time to read or listen to long, detailed advertisements. Most advertisements use slogans to get customers’ attention.
SHOP NOW AND SAVE, BACK TO SCHOOL FASHIONS, and GET READY FOR SPRING are common slogans. These are often used to advertise clothing sales.
-
Displaying
. Displayings are another way fabric companies promote their products. Displays show fabrics in store windows or on mannequins (dummies). Counters and racks inside a store also display fabric products. Customers notice displays which have:
-
Familiar Slogans
. Familiar slogans repeat sayings customers remember from other advertisements. “Spring Carnival of Values,” for example, might be printed in a newspaper and on a window display banner.
-
New Ideas
. Some displays use moving mannequins, mirrors, decorations, or other special effects to get attention.
-
Beauty
. Displays often use background color and light to increase the natural beauty of fabrics. Colored lights, for example, add beauty to a silver evening gown.
-
Tell a Story
. Some displays use stories to call attention to fabric products. Nursery rhyme characters might be dressed in children’s clothes.
-
Current Value
. Many displays show products for a holiday season or special event. Just think about all the different store displays you see at Christmas, Father’s Day, and Easter.
Next time you see a display in a fabric store, see if you notice these things. Does the display get your attention? Are you influenced to buy?
-
Publicity
. Any free newspaper, television, or radio story is publicity. To get publicity, a store or product must be newspaper worthy. That is, it must be interesting enough for people to want to hear about it. Many enterprises hire people for publicity work. These people get publicity f or the enterprise. They give news of new products, company personnel, and building or remodeling plans to the news media. Often, special events such as fashion shows, exhibits, contests, and sales contests get publicity. A grand opening is one way many stores use to get publicity. Can you think of other ways a store can get attention? There are some illustrations on the following pages which illustrate advertising.
(figure available in print form)
(figure available in print form)
Creating successful Ads
Now that you have considered the various media and have selected the best vehicles for your advertising message, it is time to consider what you are actually going to say and how the message is going to look (or sound).
The easiest route is to pay an advertising agency to help you. For a signed contract and lots of money (most agencies will not take on clients with small advertising budgets), agency people will design your ads, decide where and when to place them, and take care of the actual placement.
If you do not have a lot of money to spend on advertising, your first thought might be to go to your newspaper anti department for inexpensive (sometimes) free help in putting your ads together. Unfortunately, newspapers are notorious for there low pay, so their layouts and designs will not be nearly as effective as those done by an ad agency.
Lesson Four
:
Objective
: Students will examine different types of ads.
Instructions
: Analyze several ads from current sources such as magazines, newspapers, and billboards.
While looking at ads, we will look at: spacing between words and sentences, sentence structure (imperative), sentence length (short), use of personal pronouns (you, I, they, etc.), descriptive adjectives, action verbs, text placement in relation to pictures.
(figure available in print form)
(figure available in print form)
After students learn to recognize the elements of a good ad, I will expect them to create their own ads. The following is how I will introduce ads to the students. The following tips are not rules but merely sound advice to keep in mind as you proceed. The list sums up many of the observations made. After awhile you will develop your own list. You may work for clients who have their own thoughts about the subject. Some of these ideas are obvious, but they are always worth repeating. (Which is altogether appropriate since repetition is one of the tools of your trade). You’ll find these tips worth referring to from time to time:
-
*Don’t waste words. Say what you have to say-nothing more, nothing less. Don’t pad, but don’t skimp.
-
* Stick to the present tense, active voice—it’s crisper. Avoid the past tense and passive voice.
-
* Don’t hesitate to use personal pronouns.
-
* Cliches are crutches; learn to get along without them.
-
* Don’ t brag or boast.
-
* Be single-minded. Don’t try to do too much.
-
* Write with flair. Drum up excitement.